BLAST/A BLAST

Greece, 2014, 82 minutes, Colour.

Angelika Papoulia,Vassilis Doganis, Maria Filini, Themis Bazaka.

Directed by Syllas Tzoumerkas.

The central character, Maria, is in crisis. And this is how the structure of this film is created, moving from one aspect of Maria’s life to another, illustrating the breakdown.

The film was released with the background of the Greek financial crisis in the 2000s-2010s. In the background of the drama there are frequent television commentaries about the state of the nation, the state of finances. And, this is reflected in Maria’s life, the business company that her mother has managed and mismanaged, the interventions of her rather fascist brother-in-law, issues of money for herself and her arguments with authorities at the bank.

But, this is all happening on a personal level. Episodes in her life are presented piecemeal, requiring the audience to pick up on the meaning of each piece and the ability to place it in connection with others so that there is an overall portrait of Maria.

There is the young Maria, rowdy life, taking up with a sailor, marrying him at the age of 20, her children, his absences at sea, his passionate visits when he comes home from his ship. There are some quite graphic passionate sequences. However, we are shown that at sea, he becomes sexually involved with some of the men on his ship.

Maria, a student, well read, views on social issues, bonds with her sister. However, the financial difficulties with her brother-in-law – and her physical attack on him. Worse the conflicts with her wheelchair-bound mother, dominating her genial but weaker father. Maria has many conflicts with her mother, exposing her business deals, her mother then killing herself, the funeral sequence.

And, in the background, are environmental issues, sociological issues, and the information that a significant forest has been burnt. It would emerge by the end of the film, with the motivations, that Maria has chosen to set the fire, to challenge the authorities.

On a personal level, with the conflicts within her family, her decision to leave her husband, and to leave her children (after many sequences were shown with them), Maria drives speedily away – and with a death wish.

The film won awards at the film festival of Locarno and was shown extensively around the world at festivals.